Management of Diseases in Mushrooms

ByMiss Farzana

Federal Seed Cortication And Registration Department

Pakistan

GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF DISEASES IN MUSHROOM CROP

Floor of the mushroom house should be kept free of organic debris.

Cleaning of surroundings and inside of the mushroom house along with disposal of spent substrate is must.

Such debris should be put in the manure pit and

covered with atleast 10 cm thick layer of manure.

It helps in checking fly breeding in surrounding areas of the mushroom house that spread many diseases.

Mushroom flies are attracted to spawn and mushroom odours.

During cropping period, the flies enter the mushroom house and breed in the substrate…… to obstruct the entry of flies inside…..nylon screen should be used in the doors and windows of the mushroom house.

Maintenance of farm and surroundings in a hygienic way is a very important.

Equipments used for spawning and floor and walls

must be washed and disinfected.

The substrate (paddy straw) should be fresh and protected from rain. Use of old and poor straw

High moisture in compost

Pasteurization should before optimum duration at right temperature

Spawn should be fresh and free from all the contaminants.

Remove the heavily infected bags from the cropping room and dispose it off.

The pickers should use clean overall and gloves.

Inspect mushroom beds regularly for disease especially prior to watering and picking.

Oyster….. are fast growing cultivated mushrooms and are generally free from diseases.

Due to bad quality of spawn, substrate, unhygienic condition and insect pest infestation the mushroom crop is affected by various diseases. The yield loses upto 70% have been reported in different spp.

FUNGAL DISEASESMoulds: Due to improper pasteurization contaminated spawnCommonly found moulds are

green mould and blue mould

Management: Sprinkle agri lime powder over

infected area to check its spread.

Watering after harvest

Ink caps These look like small

mushrooms White scale on surface Dissolve into a black liquid

when fully mature. It appears some times before

or after opening bagsManagement Remove fruit bodies with

hand Avoid over watering

Sclerotium rolfssi Comes from soil and

improperly pasteurized straw

Management Use properly

pasteurized substrate Discard infected bags

BACTERIAL DISEASEYellow blotch Yellow depressed

spot on caps becomes brown and orange

Affected fruits give off Foul smell under high humid and high temperature

Bacterial rotIn this case rotting

starts from the center of the fruit body and spreads towards periphery